High School

Overview -Research Academies for Students

The central goal of the Biophotonics Research Academy is to attract underrepresented students, from grades 10-12, into the field of Biophotonics by equipping them with the education and field experiences they need to be successful applicants to post-secondary institutions or industry.

For Students

The High School Biophotonics Research Academy (HSRAB) is a high school enrichment program that demonstrates the relevance of Biophotonics in medicine, industry, and research and that challenges students’ ideas about careers in science. This program engages students in inquiry-oriented activities and research projects. The curriculum is steered by emerging conceptual models of biophotonics, emphasizes information technology, scientific inquiry and biology/physics/chemistry concepts through studying the applied field of Biophotonics.

Program designs from simplest to most involved include (1) integration as a module or unit into an existing course; (2) 200+ hour/year after school programs; (3) in school elective courses and/or college preparatory laboratory courses. Over thirty, 1 to 10 hour long, activities have been created through collaborations between CBST education and research staff and local high school teachers since program inception. These activities come in several variations depending on the particular focus of the HSRAB implementation. In the last three years there have been HSRAB implementations focused on biophotonics, plant biology and biophotonics, and cancer science and biophotonics. In the coming years, a biomedical engineering focused set of activities/curriculum is planned.